From BBQs to Black Boxes: Why AI Agents Might Be Your Next Process Colleague (or Frenemy)

 In this dynamic and thought-provoking episode, Casper and Russell take a detour from birthday barbecues into the brave new world of AI agents in process management. With their trademark mix of humour and depth, they explore how agentic AI is shifting the BPM landscape—from guided automation to autonomous orchestration. Drawing parallels between past tech trends (remember Excel chaos?) and current GenAI developments, they raise urgent questions about governance, context-awareness, and AI maturity. It’s not about adding another tool—it’s about evolving your entire process mindset. 

5 Key Takeaways 

1. 🎂 Barbecues and BPM Have Something in Common

Just like hosting a great BBQ, meaningful process work involves effort without immediate return. It’s about doing things because they matter—not just for ROI, but for long-term value and connection.

2. 🤖 AI Agents Are Not Just Tools—They’re Actors

Agents can perform, coordinate, and even delegate tasks. They aren’t static tools like Excel—they’re dynamic, learning entities that will actively participate in business processes.

3. 📊 Governance Is the New MVP

Without structured ownership and context-aware governance, AI agents risk becoming the next generation of uncontrolled “Excel chaos.” Process governance must evolve to cover agent behaviour, risk, and compliance.

4. 🧠 Trainee Programs for AI

Start AI agents off in a “guided” mode—suggesting actions, not executing them. Let them learn your company’s business context gradually. Think of it as onboarding an exceptionally smart (but unpredictable) intern.

5. 🧱 Build the Digital Memory for Agents

AI agents need structured access to process context, history, and workarounds to make smart decisions. This means treating lessons learned, tribal knowledge, and exception handling as first-class data citizens.

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